Latin name of the plant claimed: The plant claimed is Pelargonium graveolens var. xe2x80x98Safalxe2x80x99.
The present invention is related to the development of a novel high essential oil producing plant obtained through a unique method of progeny screening from the seeds obtained from the plant cultivar xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 (unpatented) of Pelargonium graveolens, from which a novel, unique and commercially viable plant of rose scented geranium Pelargonium graveolens with high quantity and quality of essential oil yield was screened out. Further, the invention relates to the development of a high essential oil yielding hybrid named as xe2x80x98Safalxe2x80x99 through a planned selection and analysis of the xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 seedling progenies. The essential oil of the plant is rich in rhodinol (89%) which includes the constituents geraniol, citronellyl, geranyl acetate, citronellyl acetate, geranyl formate, citronellyl formate, phenyl ethyl alcohols, cis and trans rose oxides, linalool and likewise. The hybrid of the invention can be planted and maintained for commercial cultivation through vegetative propagation using the stem cuttings.
The members of the genus, Pelargonium commonly known as geraniums, are common ornamental plants. Some of the species such as P. graveolens are used as the source of rose scented geranium essential oil of considerable commercial importance. Geranium oil is one of the expensive essential oils used in perfumery, cosmetics and soap industries. On account of its antimicrobial and pesticidal activities, the use of geranium essential oil for technical applications is expanding. There is need to expand the geranium cultivation in diverse geographical areas with suitable agroclimates to meet the increasing industrial demand for the geranium essential oil. Traditionally, the geranium cultivation is confined to areas having semi-temperate to temperate climates where geranium is planted as perennial crop, maintained in the field for 4-5 years. The shoot portion of the perennial plantations of geranium is harvested 1 to 3 times each year to distill the oil. The spread of geranium cultivation has been narrow because the prevalent cultivars of Pelargonium graveolens are highly susceptible to water logging in soil, white ants and several bacterial and fungal diseases. Also there is paucity of genetic resources in Pelargonium species cultivated for essential oils. The available varieties suffer from high degree of male and female sterility. Breeding programmes based on cross hybridization have been scarce among essential oil yielding geraniums. So it is important to generate more genotypes with varied characters which can yield high quantity and quality of essential oil.
The main object of the present invention is to develop a new and distinct plant of Pelargonium graveolens xe2x80x98Safalxe2x80x99, through progeny screening from the seeds obtained from the plant cultivar xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 of Pelargonium graveolens, said plant capable of producing higher quantity and quality of essential oil.
Another object of the present invention is to develop a new plant, which produces less of isomenthone, menthone and other sesqui-terpenes but rich in total rhodinol with a citroniol:geraniol ratio of 1:1.
Accordingly, in the present invention we have developed a novel, distinct, unique, and high essential oil yielding plant of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) xe2x80x98Safalxe2x80x99, through progeny screening from the seeds obtained from the plant cultivar xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 of Pelargonlum graveolens, possessing the following combination of characters:
a. the plant is a hybrid between cultivar xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 and cultivar xe2x80x98Hemantixe2x80x99 (unpatented) as the pollen donor as indicated by the co-dominance RAPD pattern obtained by the random primer 5xe2x80x2AACGTACGCG3xe2x80x2 [SEQ ID NO:5]
b. possessing very large, hairy, soft, yellow-green (upper surfacexe2x80x94144A; lower surfacexe2x80x94147B) leaves, dark pink (78D) petals in the flowers,
c. possessing vigorous and rapid vegetative growth with higher plant height of up to 82xc2x16 cm, higher canopy size of up to 1.42xc2x10.4 m2, higher herb yield of up to 11.1xc2x10.9 kg per plant, higher leaf area of up to 101xc2x116 cm2, higher oil content up to 0.35 to 0.40% and higher oil yield of up to 41 g/plant,
d. producing an essential oil with the following composition; Citronellol 30.6xc2x13.0, Geraniol 28.7xc2x16.0, Isomenthone 8.4xc2x10.5, Linalool 4.7xc2x10.1, Cis rose oxide 0.4xc2x10.1, trans rose oxide 0.2xc2x10.1, Menthone 0.2xc2x10.1, Citronellyl formate 6.6xc2x10.5, Geranyl formate 2.9xc2x10.2, 10-epi-xcex3-eudesmol 5.4xc2x10.3, 6,9-guaiadiene 0.1xc2x10.1, Decanoic acid 0.1xc2x10.1, Phenyl ethyl tiglate 0.8xc2x10.1, which may not be construed to be limited to these values,
e. with distinct molecular profile by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using 10 random primers (AAATCGGAGC [SEQ ID NO:1], GTCCTACTCG [SEQ ID NO:2], TGCGCGATCG [SEQ ID NO:4], AACGTACGCG [SEQ ID NO:5], CGGGATCCGC [SEQ ID NO:9], GCGAATTCCG [SEQ ID NO:10], CCCTGCAGGC [SEQ ID NO:11], CCAAGCTTGC [SEQ ID NO:12], AAGATAGCGG [SEQ ID NO:15], GGATCTGAAC [SEQ ID NO:16]) distinguishing the plant from the other existing varieties known to us,
f. producing highest herbage, oil yield per plant as compared to any other existing varieties, and
g. possessing the following botanical details.
Stem shape: Rounded.
Stem habit: Ramified.
Number of nodes:
(i) Primary nodes.xe2x80x944.
(ii) Secondary nodes.xe2x80x9425 to 30.
(iii) Tertiary nodes.xe2x80x947.
Average length of primary internode: 3.0 cm.
Leaf apex shape: Mucronate (rounded), cuspidate.
Leaf shape: Palmately lobed, cordate.
Leaf lamina base shape: Hastate.
Petiole shape: Long, hairy.
Petiole color: Yellow-green 147B.
Color of upper leaf surface: Yellow green (144A).
Color of lower leaf surface: Yellow green (147B).
Leaf length: 10.0 cm.
Leaf width: 13 cm.
Number of trichomes: 3.5/mm2.
Trichome ratio (lower leaf/upper leaf): 2:1.
Peduncle:
Length.xe2x80x945.5.
Color.xe2x80x94Yellow green (147B).
Time for flowering: February end.
Lastingness of bloom: Starts from February lasts till April.
Flower shape: Tubular.
Pedicel length: 2.5 mm.
Pedicel color: Yellow green (147B).
Calyx diameter: 5 mm.
Calyx:
Color (both surfaces).xe2x80x94Yellow green (146A).
Sepal number.xe2x80x945.
Shape.xe2x80x94Triangular.
Apex.xe2x80x94Acute.
Base.xe2x80x94Concave.
Margin.xe2x80x94Entire, hairy.
Length.xe2x80x940.7 cm.
Corolla:
Petal number.xe2x80x945.
Shape.xe2x80x94Tubular bi-lipped free, zygomorphic.
Apex.xe2x80x94Slightly notched.
Base.xe2x80x94Slightly ligulate.
Margin.xe2x80x94Entire.
Length (upper lip).xe2x80x941.0 cm.
Length (lower lip).xe2x80x940.9 cm.
Corolla color (both surfaces): Purple group 78D.
Pubescence of corolla: Absent.
Reproductive organs:
Androecium.xe2x80x9410 stamens, filament sub-equal, united at base, anthers 7, dithoecous, versatile.
Gynoceium.xe2x80x94Pentacarpellary syncarpous superior ovary.
Color of stigma: Magenta (red purple) (78B).
Umbel:
Inflorescence/plant.xe2x80x9423.
Flowers/inflorescence.xe2x80x947.
Umbel shape.xe2x80x94Umbrella.
Mature plant:
Height.xe2x80x9482 cm.
Width.xe2x80x94140 cm.
Susceptibility to disease: Susceptible to stem and root rot by fungus Fusarium oxysporum, Rhyzoctonia solanii and Pythium spp. and to termite attack.
Age of plants when described: 2 years (Lucknow, India).
Conditions of culture: Subtropical climate, soil sandy loam, alkaline (pH 7.8), low in available nitrogen (N 155 kg/ha), medium in available phosphorus (P2O5 30.4 kg/ha) and exchangeable potassium (K2O 120 kg/ha). Field was dressed with manure @ 1 ton/ha and chlorphyriphos 1%/ha before planting of cuttings.
Asexual reproduction: Stem cuttings of about 10-20 cm length, with 4-5 nodes and a terminal bud, were planted in nursery beds or pots containing course sand/sphagnum moss. These rooted within 60 days and were planted in the field beds, without disturbing the root system, at 60xc3x9760 cm spacing.
Fruit/seed: Fruit setting did not take place in subtropical climatic conditions of Lucknow.
Time to produce finished plant: One month from rooted cutting to flowering.
The plant xe2x80x98Safalxe2x80x99 can yield more essential oil with less of isomenthone, menthone and other sesqui-terpenes but rich in total rhodinol with a citroniol:geraniol ratio of 1:1, than the prevailing cultivars now grown in India.
While observing large populations of the xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99, xe2x80x98Hemantixe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Kuntixe2x80x99 (unpatented) cultivars of rose scented geranium P. graveolens growing at the Kodaikanal field station Tamil Nadu, India of this Institute, in the temperate climate of Southern hills, formation of fruits bearing seeds at low frequency was observed in the populations of the xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 cultivar of P. graveolens. It was realized that the seeds obtained may be the product of rare self fertilization within xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 cultivar or cross pollination of xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 gynoecia by fertile pollen grains formed on xe2x80x98Hemantixe2x80x99 or xe2x80x98Kuntixe2x80x99 cultivar. The present work was carried out to reveal new genetic variation if any present, among the plants that could be raised from the spontaneous seeds borne on the plants of the xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 cultivar. Comparison of the plants produced from seeds, collected from xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 cultivar plants growing amongst those of xe2x80x98Hemantixe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Kuntixe2x80x99 cultivar, has shown that the xe2x80x98Bipulixe2x80x99 seed progeny plants indeed differed from the plants of the three cultivars of P. graveolens. Out of all progenies, one (BSP-4) named as xe2x80x98Safalxe2x80x99 was found to be high yielding with essential oil containing the oil constituents in desirable proportions, novel and was thus the plant of this invention. As used herein, the accession number xe2x80x9cBSP-4xe2x80x9d and variety name xe2x80x98Safalxe2x80x99 are used interchangeably.
All the color grouping given in the description are made as per The International Royal Horticultural Society Colour chart.